If Jesus is King, Why is the Dog Still Barking?

Reconciling the Victory of the Cross with the Reality of Evil.

If you look at the headlines today, it doesn't feel like a "Kingdom of Peace." It feels like chaos.

This creates a massive theological tension for us. We read in Scripture that Jesus has been given "all authority in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). We read that He is currently seated at the right hand of God, reigning until His enemies are made a footstool. We sing songs about His victory.

But then we look out the window. We see war, sickness, addiction, and corruption.

This tension leads many people to adopt a theology of postponement (often called Premillennialism). It’s the idea that Jesus wanted to bring the Kingdom, but the world was too wicked, so He hit the "pause" button. In this view, the real Kingdom is future. We are just holding the fort until He comes back to fix the mess.

But there is a different, more robust way to view this—one that fits better with the ancient hope of the Church. It suggests that the Kingdom isn't missing; it’s just in battle.

To understand it, you have to understand the theology of the Dog on the Leash.

The Binding of the Strong Man

In Revelation 20, we read a controversial passage about an angel coming down from heaven holding a key and a great chain. He seizes the dragon (Satan) and binds him for a thousand years.

Scholars like Homer Hailey and Jim McGuiggan have argued for decades that this isn't a future event. It’s a description of what happened at the Cross. Jesus said Himself in Matthew 12 that to plunder a house, one must first "bind the strong man."

But if Satan is bound now, why is there still evil?

Imagine a vicious, aggressive dog in a front yard. Before the owner intervened, that dog roamed the entire neighborhood. He chased cars, bit children, and controlled the street. Everyone was terrified.

Then, the Master comes out. He puts a heavy iron collar on the dog and stakes a chain into the ground.

The dog is now "bound."

Here is the nuance we miss: Being bound doesn't mean the dog is dead. It doesn't even mean he is silent.

• He still barks.

• He still looks terrifying.

• And—this is crucial—if you wander inside the radius of that chain, he can still bite you.

If you walk right up to him (temptation) or ignore the warning signs (sin), he still has the power to destroy you.

The Limit of the Leash

So, what changed? If the dog can still bite, what was the point of the chain?

Revelation 20:3 gives us the specific reason for the binding: "...so that he might not deceive the nations any longer."

Before Christ, the nations (Gentiles) were largely cut off from God, shrouded in darkness. The "dog" roamed the whole earth. But the Cross drove a stake into the ground. The chain was set. Satan’s power to universally blind the nations was broken.

He can no longer stop the Gospel from crossing borders. He can no longer hold the world in total darkness.

The Mailman Always Delivers

This brings us to the most comforting part of the analogy.

Why do we chain a dog? Not necessarily to stop him from barking, but to ensure he cannot stop authorized visitors.

Think of Jesus—or the Church—as the Mailman. The dog can pull on that chain until he chokes. He can snarl and snap. But he cannot reach the sidewalk. He cannot stop the message from being delivered to the house.

This is the reality of the Church Age. We are not living in a time of perfect peace where the dog is dead. We are living in a time of contested victory.

• The Victory: The Gospel is reaching every corner of the globe. The Kingdom is growing. The Master is inside the house.

• The Contest: The enemy is furious because he knows his time is short, and he is thrashing against the chain.

Living with Kingdom Confidence

How does this change your day?

It moves you from fear to caution. You don't need to be terrified that the devil is running the world; he isn't. But you do need to be wise. As Peter wrote, he still prowls like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8).

Stay out of the radius of the chain. Keep your life centered on the sidewalk of the Spirit. And take heart in the fact that no matter how loud the barking gets, the message has already been delivered.

The King is on the throne. The dog is on a leash. Walk with confidence.

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